Cautious statements without a timetable for resolving the name issue have been coming from the representatives of official Washington over the past few days. During the visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Greece, as reported by the Macedonian Service of the Voice of America, the US government official said at a special briefing in Athens that the name issue was delicate to both countries, which was partly the reason why it had not yet been resolved.

“It is fair to say that they are close to a solution. However, in talks over delicate issues, close is not enough. They should run their last lap however long it is and finish the job,” Mrs. Clinton said in Athens.

In an interview with the Greek television Sky, she said there was a chance for resolving the name issue.

“We clearly stress that we support the talks between Skopje and Athens. We believe those talks offer an opportunity for resolving the issue,” Secretary Clinton said.

After meeting Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou and Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis, she did not make an official statement about the expectations relating to the problem due to which Macedonian’s Euro-Atlantic integration is stalled. The Government in Skopje should know that it will not be able to move forward without a solution, Clinton said in her interview with Sky, and Greece should be ready for a solution

“We encourage you as much as we can to finally reach a solution. We should wait and see whether that happens,” Clinton said.